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Our Health Library information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Please be advised that this information is made available to assist our patients to learn more about their health. Our providers may not see and/or treat all topics found herein.

Topic Contents

Anger, Hostility, and Violent Behavior

Topic Overview

Anger signals your body to prepare for a fight. This reaction is commonly classified as "fight or flight." When you get angry, adrenaline and other hormones are released into the bloodstream. Then your blood pressure goes up, your heart beats faster, and you breathe faster.

Many people mistakenly believe that anger is always a bad emotion and that expressing anger is not okay. In reality, anger can be a normal response to everyday events. It is the right response to any situation that is a real threat. Anger can be a positive driving force behind our actions. Anger can also be a symptom of something else, depending on how often a person feels angry and how angry the person feels.

Hostility is being ready for a fight all the time. Hostile people are often stubborn, impatient, hotheaded, or have an "attitude." They are frequently in fights or may say they feel like hitting something or someone. Hostility isolates you from other people.

Teens who say they often feel angry and hostile also more often feel anxious, stressed, sad, and fatigued. They have more problems with alcohol and drugs, smoking, and eating disorders than teens who do not have high levels of anger.

Violent behavior often begins with verbal threats or relatively minor incidents, but over time it can involve physical harm. Violent behavior is very damaging, both physically and emotionally. Violent behavior can include physical, verbal, or sexual abuse of an intimate partner (domestic violence), a child (child abuse), or an older adult (elder abuse).

Violence causes more injury and death in children, teenagers, and young adults than infectious disease, cancer, or birth defects. Murder, suicide, and violent injury are the leading causes of death in children. Violence with guns is one of the leading causes of death of children and teenagers in the United States.

If you are angry or hostile or if you have violent behavior, it is important to find help. You can learn ways to control your feelings and actions.

If you have been abused or assaulted, contact your doctor as soon as possible. If you have questions about how soon you should be seen, you can check your symptoms.

Check Your Symptoms

Are you concerned about anger, hostility, or violent behavior in yourself or someone else?

Yes

Concerned about anger, hostility, or violent behavior

No

Concerned about anger, hostility, or violent behavior

How old are you?

Less than 12 years

Less than 12 years

12 years or older

12 years or older

Are you male or female?

Male

Male

Female

Female

The medical assessment of symptoms is based on the body parts you have.

If you are transgender or nonbinary, choose the sex that matches the body parts (such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina) you now have in the area where you are having symptoms.

If your symptoms aren’t related to those organs, you can choose the gender you identify with.

If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice (once as "male" and once as "female"). This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you.

Does your or another person's anger or hostility cause problems with others?

These could include problems at work or school, problems with strangers, and problems with friends or family.

Yes

Anger or hostility causing problems with other people

No

Anger or hostility causing problems with other people

Are you concerned about self-harm?

It can include acts like cutting, burning, or choking yourself on purpose, or pushing objects under your skin (like pieces of metal, glass, or wood). People doing these acts usually are not trying to kill themselves, but the results can still be dangerous.

Yes

Concerns about self-harm

No

Concerns about self-harm

Many things can affect how your body responds to a symptom and what kind of care you may need. These include:

Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker.

Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner.

Medicines you take. Certain medicines, herbal remedies, and supplements can cause symptoms or make them worse.

Recent health events, such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious.

Your health habits and lifestyle, such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel.

Try Home Treatment

You have answered all the questions. Based on your answers, you may be able to take care of this problem at home.

Try home treatment to relieve the symptoms.

Call your doctor if symptoms get worse or you have any concerns (for example, if symptoms are not getting better as you would expect). You may need care sooner.

Symptoms to watch for during home treatment

Prevention

Seek positive ways to resolve problems. Arguing can be okay, even healthy, as long as it does not turn violent.

Think before you act. Take time to stop and cool down when you feel yourself becoming angry. Count to 10, or practice some other form of mental relaxation.

Take steps to lead a healthy life.

Engage in some type of regular physical activity. Exercise is one of the best ways to release all types of stress, including anger. A brisk walk is a good way to start. For more information, see the topic Fitness.

Eat a balanced diet. Remember to drink plenty of water.

Establish a healthy sleep pattern. Try to get the same amount of sleep each night.

Limit your use of alcohol, and do not use other drugs, such as cocaine, crack, or methamphetamines. Alcohol and drugs may make your feelings of anger and hostility worse and make them even harder to handle. For more information, see the topic Alcohol and Drug Problems.

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